JP2015038416A - Electric heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately reduce unnecessary power consumption during absence without impairing usability.SOLUTION: An electric heater includes: a hot air mechanism for heating air; a human body detection unit for detecting a person; and a human body detection control unit for determining presence/absence of a person from a detection signal by the human body detection unit and controlling an operation. The human body detection control unit has: a non-detection time measurement unit for measuring non-detection time during which there is no detection signal; an absence determination unit for determining absence of a person from the non-detection time; and absence confirming time determination unit for determining a comparison value of the non-detection time for absence determination. Then, the absence confirming time determination unit determines the absence confirming time on the basis of the length of the non-detection time. Thereby, unnecessary power consumption during absence can be reduced while comfort is maintained.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric heater that detects the presence or absence of a user with a human sensor and stops or starts operation.

  Conventionally, in this type of heater, a pyroelectric sensor is generally used for a human body detection unit configured by a human sensor or the like. And a heater starts an operation | movement with the signal detected by the human sensitive sensor. At this time, there is disclosed a heater having a configuration in which when a signal is not detected by a human sensor for a certain period of time, the user determines that the user is absent and stops operation (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-61901 A

  However, the conventional heater uses a pyroelectric sensor to detect a human body based on a change in the amount of infrared energy due to a temperature difference between the living body in the field of view and the background temperature. That is, the human body is detected by the movement of the user. Therefore, the sensor signal is not detected unless the user moves for a certain time. As a result, since there is a possibility that the operation of the heater is stopped despite the presence of a user, there is a problem that the usability is poor.

  Therefore, if the non-detection time of the sensor signal for determining the stop of the operation is lengthened, the above problem can be solved. However, in this case, even in the absence, the time until the operation is stopped becomes longer and the time for stopping the operation of the heater becomes shorter. Therefore, there is a problem that unnecessary power consumption when absent can not be reduced and a sufficient energy saving effect cannot be obtained.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electric heater having both comfort and energy saving effect, which reduces unnecessary power consumption in the absence without impairing comfort.

  In order to solve the above problems, an electric heater of the present invention determines the presence or absence of a person from a warm air mechanism that heats air, a human body detection unit that detects a person, and a detection signal from the human body detection unit. A human body detection control unit that controls driving is provided. The human body detection control unit includes a non-detection time measurement unit that measures a non-detection time without a detection signal, an absence determination unit that determines the absence of a person from the non-detection time, and a comparison value of the non-detection time for the absence determination. An absence determination time determination unit for determining is provided. The absence determination time determination unit includes a configuration for determining the absence determination time based on the length of the non-detection time.

  According to this configuration, the absence determination time until the operation is stopped can be changed to an optimum time in accordance with the operation frequency and usage situation of the user. Thereby, it is excellent in usability and can reduce unnecessary power consumption when absent. As a result, an electric heater having both comfort and energy saving effect can be realized.

  The electric heater of the present invention can reduce unnecessary power consumption in the absence without impairing usability.

1 is an external perspective view of an electric heater according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 2-2 sectional view of FIG. 3-3 sectional view of FIG. The block diagram which illustrates the composition of each element in the embodiment Flowchart illustrating the operation of the human body detection control unit in the embodiment Explanatory drawing illustrating the operating state of the electric heater in the embodiment The graph which shows the signal detection state of the human body detection part in the same embodiment in time series The graph which shows the signal detection state of the human body detection part in the same embodiment in time series State transition diagram illustrating the operation of the absence determination time determination unit in the embodiment State transition diagram illustrating the operation of the absence determination time determination unit in the second embodiment of the present invention Timing chart for explaining the operation of the electric heater according to the embodiment The flowchart which illustrates operation | movement of the human body detection control part in Embodiment 3 of this invention. State transition diagram illustrating the operation of the absence determination time determination unit in the embodiment

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
<1> Configuration of Electric Heater Hereinafter, the configuration of the electric heater according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the electric heater according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG.

  In the following description, the front side provided with the air outlet of the electric heater shown in FIG. 1 will be referred to as the front, and the back side provided with the air inlet will be described as the rear. Similarly, the description will be made with the right side as the right and the left side as the left from the front to the back of the electric heater shown in FIG. Moreover, although an electric heater provided with the humidification part which comprises a humidification mechanism is demonstrated to an example below, it cannot be overemphasized that an electric heater without a humidification mechanism may be sufficient.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the electric heater 100 according to the present embodiment includes at least a main body 110, an air passage 150 accommodated in the main body 110, a blower 160, a heater 170 constituting a hot air mechanism, and humidification. It comprises a humidifying unit 200, an electrostatic atomizing unit 180, a human body detecting unit 301, and the like constituting the mechanism. An operation unit 120 is provided on the top surface of the main body 110, an air inlet 130 is provided on the back surface, and an air outlet 140 is provided on the front surface. As shown in FIG. 2, the air passage 150 is provided so as to communicate from the air inlet 130 to the air outlet 140. The blower 160 is disposed on the most upstream side of the air passage 150 near the air inlet 130 and blows outside air sucked from the air inlet 130 to the air passage 150.

  The heater 170 constitutes a warm air mechanism and is arranged on the downstream side of the blower 160. In the present embodiment, the heater 170 has a capacity of, for example, 1200 W as a whole, and is divided into two as a whole. Thereby, when performing a low capacity | capacitance heating, it can supply with electricity to only the half of the heater 170, for example, can heat with a capacity | capacitance of 600W.

  The air passage 150 is provided in two branches between the blower 160 and the heater 170. One of the branched air passages forms an electrostatic atomizing air passage 151 that communicates with the air outlet 140 via the electrostatic atomizing portion 180. In the present embodiment, the electrostatic atomization air passage 151 is always supplied with a small amount (for example, about 5%) of air blown from the blower 160.

  On the other hand, the other branched air path is provided on the downstream side of the heater 170 and further branched into two air paths, a warm air path 152 and a humidified air path 153. The warm air passage 152 is formed so as to directly communicate with the air outlet 140. On the other hand, the humidification air passage 153 is formed so as to communicate with the air outlet 140 through the humidification unit 200.

  The air passage 150 on the downstream side of the blower 160 is formed of a duct member 154 that is integrally molded from a flame-retardant heat-resistant resin material such as PBT (polybutylene terephthalate). Specifically, a range from the blower 160 to the electrostatic atomization air passage 151 and the humidification air passage 153 and the warm air air passage 152 are formed by the duct member 154. The heater 170 is installed inside the duct member 154.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a damper 190 is installed at a branch point between the warm air passage 152 and the humidification air passage 153 of the duct member 154. The damper 190 includes a drive mechanism (not shown) configured by, for example, a stepping motor. The damper 190 selectively switches the direction in which the warm air heated by the heater 170 is blown by the operation of the operation unit 120. The damper 190 is switched, for example, to send air only to the warm air passage 152 or to both the hot air passage 152 and the humidified air passage 153.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, when the damper 190 is at the position C, the warm air is simultaneously blown into both the warm air channel 152 and the humidified air channel 153. At this time, for example, about 10% of the air volume is blown to the warm air passage 152 and the rest is blown to the humidified air passage 153. On the other hand, when the damper 190 is switched to the position D where the humidification air passage 153 is closed and the humidification air passage 153 is closed, the warm air is blown only to the warm air passage 152.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the operation unit 120 includes a power switch 121, a hot air continuous switch 122, a hot air room temperature interlocking switch 123, a humidification switch 124, an electrostatic atomization switch 125, and an on timer switch. 126, an off timer switch 127, a lock switch 128, a reset switch 129, and the like. And each switch performs each operation | movement shown below by operation, such as a press.

  The power switch 121 turns on / off the electric heater 100. The hot air continuous switch 122 continuously performs the hot air operation. The hot air / room temperature interlocking switch 123 performs the hot air operation in accordance with the set temperature. The humidification switch 124 performs a humidification operation. The electrostatic atomization switch 125 performs an electrostatic atomization operation. The on-timer switch 126 sets an on-timer. The off timer switch 127 sets a off timer. The lock switch 128 prevents erroneous operations such as child mischief. The reset switch 129 is operated after maintenance of the humidifying unit 200 to return to the initial state.

  Furthermore, the operation unit 120 includes a plurality of display lamps that display the operation states of the switches.

  In the present embodiment, a configuration is provided in which a warm air flow path 152 is provided separately from the humidification air path 153 and is switched by the damper 190 by operating the operation switch so that “warm air” and “humidified warm air” can be selected. Although described as an example, it is not limited to this. For example, only the warm air passage 152 may be provided, and the damper 190 and the operation switch for performing the switching operation may not be provided. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which does not provide only the humidification air path 153 and the damper 190 and the operation switch which performs switching operation. In this case, what is supplied to the humidifying unit 200 is all the air blown by the blower 160 is defined as a humidifier.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the example in which the electrostatic atomizing unit 180 is provided has been described. However, since it is not an essential component of the warm air mechanism, a configuration without the electrostatic atomizing unit 180 may be used.

<2> Configuration of Electrostatic Atomization Unit The configuration of the electrostatic atomization unit in the electric heater according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the electrostatic atomization part 180 is comprised from the electrostatic atomization unit 181 etc. which were provided in the electrostatic atomization air path 151 which has the atomization blower outlet 182. As shown in FIG. As described above, the electrostatic atomizing air passage 151 is branched from the air passage 150 between the blower 160 and the heater 170.

  Although not shown, the electrostatic atomization unit 181 includes at least a condensed water generation unit, an atomization electrode, a counter electrode, and the like. The dew condensation water generation unit generates water by dewing moisture in the air blown by the blower 160. The atomizing electrode and the counter electrode are arranged to face each other, and apply a voltage to the water generated by the condensed water generation unit.

  Specifically, the dew condensation water production | generation part is comprised by making the Peltier device which has a cooling substrate and a thermal radiation board into a main structural member. A sharp atomizing electrode is installed on the cooling substrate of the Peltier element. And it arrange | positions so that the water which condensed with the cooling substrate of the Peltier device may be conveyed by the atomization electrode.

  Furthermore, a substantially dome-shaped (including dome-shaped) counter electrode is disposed at a position facing the sharp-shaped atomization electrode so as to surround the atomization electrode. Then, by applying a DC voltage of, for example, about 3500 V between the atomizing electrode and the counter electrode, Rayleigh splitting is caused in the condensed water transported to the atomizing electrode. Thereby, nanometer-sized charged fine particle water is generated.

  That is, the air after passing through the electrostatic atomization unit 181 contains charged nanoparticle-sized charged fine particle water, and the charged fine particle water is discharged to the outside from the outlet 140 via the atomization outlet 182. At this time, the charged fine particle water released into the outside air exerts a skin moisturizing effect for indoor users when the concentration is appropriate. The moisturizing effect of the charged fine particle water is different from the skin beautifying effect by simply adjusting the humidity by humidification. Specifically, it exhibits a moisturizing skin effect produced by the presence of charged fine particle water at a nano level at a certain concentration in the air.

  Furthermore, nanometer-sized charged fine particle water has, for example, decomposition and removal of odorous components such as ammonia, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen monoxide, formaldehyde, and bactericidal effects on various fungi. As a result, effects such as deodorization, sterilization and sterilization are exerted on odor components and fungi floating in the room and adhering to the wall surface and floor surface.

<3> Operation and Action of Electric Heater Hereinafter, the operation and action of the electric heater in the present embodiment will be described.

  When starting the operation of the electric heater 100, first, the user turns on the power switch 121 of the operation unit 120. Then, a preferred operation mode is selected by each switch of the operation unit 120. As operation modes, for example, there are three basic operation modes of “warm air”, “humidification”, and “electrostatic atomization”. In addition, there is an operation mode of “humidified hot air” in which “warm air” and “humidification” are performed simultaneously. In addition to the single operation mode, the operation mode of “electrostatic atomization” can be operated simultaneously with other “warm air”, “humidification” and “humidification hot air” operation modes. It has become a structure.

  When operating in the hot air mode, the user further selects and operates either the hot air continuous switch 122 or the hot air room temperature interlocking switch 123. At this time, when the hot air continuous switch 122 is selected, the electric heater 100 blows hot air regardless of the room temperature with the heater 170 having a capacity of “strong” or “weak”. On the other hand, when the hot air / room temperature interlocking switch 123 is selected, the capacity of the heater 170 is appropriately switched to, for example, 1200 W or 600 W in conjunction with the room temperature, and the operation is performed so as to keep the room temperature at a predetermined temperature.

  Further, when the operation in the warm air mode is performed, the damper 190 is disposed at the position D where the humidified air passage 153 is closed. Then, the warm air heated by the heater 170 is supplied only to the warm air air passage 152, and blows out directly from the air outlet 140 through the hot air air passage 152. In this case, the hot air blown out is in a state of being dried at a high temperature. Therefore, the warm air mode is suitable for use for heating and drying the room in a short time.

  Next, when operating in the humidification mode, the user operates the humidification switch 124 of the operation unit 120. In the case of the operation in the humidification mode, the capacity of the heater 170 is set to a low capacity (about 600 W). At this time, the damper 190 is disposed at a position C where the warm air is mainly blown to the humidified air passage 153. Thereby, the low temperature warm air is blown to both the warm air channel 152 and the humidified air channel 153. As a result, the warm air in the dry state that has passed through the warm air passage 152 and the humidified air that has passed through the humidification air passage 153 and has been humidified by the humidifying unit 200 are mixed before the air outlet 140 and blown out from the air outlet 140.

  That is, in the humidification mode, a part of the warm air is blown directly out of the warm air path 152. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain an effect of efficiently sucking and blowing out the humidified air mixed in front of the air outlet 140 by the hot air having a high flow velocity.

  Next, when performing the operation in the humidified hot air mode in which the operation in the hot air mode and the operation in the humidifying mode are performed at the same time, the user selects either the hot air continuous switch 122 or the hot air room temperature interlock switch 123 as described above. The switch and the humidification switch 124 are operated.

  Specifically, in the operation in the humidified hot air mode, the position of the damper 190 and the air blowing state are the same as in the humidified operation mode. However, the heater 170 is operated at a maximum capacity of 1200W. For this reason, the humidified hot air mode is most suitable for a case where warm air that has been appropriately humidified is blown out and the room is comfortably heated for a long time.

  Next, when operating in the electrostatic atomization mode, the user operates the electrostatic atomization switch 125 of the operation unit 120. Thereby, the electrostatic atomizing unit 181 is energized. Then, the electrostatic atomization unit 181 generates nanometer-sized charged fine particles from moisture contained in the air blown from the blower 160. The air containing the charged fine particles is blown out from the outlet 140 through the atomizing outlet 182.

  The operation in the electrostatic atomization mode can be carried out as a single operation, but can also be performed simultaneously with each operation mode such as a warm air operation, a humidification operation, and a humidification hot air operation. Therefore, in any of the operation modes, effects such as deodorization, sterilization, and sterilization are exerted on odor components and fungi floating in the room and adhering to the wall surface and floor surface.

  That is, the electric heater of the present embodiment can be operated in each operation mode described above.

  Then, when stopping the operation, the user operates the power switch 121 to “OFF”. Thereby, the operation of the electric heater 100 is stopped.

  As described above, the electric heater of the present embodiment operates.

  Below, the control method of the electric heater of this Embodiment is demonstrated using FIG. In the electric heater, each operation mode is controlled by a signal detected by the human body detection unit.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of each element in the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control system that controls the electric heater includes at least a human body detection unit 301, a human body detection control unit 501, a main body control unit 401, and the like.

  Here, the human body detection unit 301 of the present embodiment includes a human sensor 311 including a pyroelectric sensor, for example. When the human sensor 311 detects a human body within the visual field, the human sensor 311 outputs a signal in response to a change in the amount of infrared rays. That is, when the human body moves within the field of view of the human sensor 311, the amount of infrared rays changes. As a result, a signal is generated from the human body detection unit 301 in accordance with the movement of the human body.

  The human body detection control unit 501 determines the presence / absence of a human body based on the signal output from the human body detection unit 301. The human body detection control unit 501 instructs the main body control unit 401 to stop the operation and continue the normal operation based on the determination result.

  The human body detection control unit 501 includes a non-detection time measurement unit 511, an absence determination time determination unit 512, an absence determination unit 513, and the like. These operations and actions will be described later.

  At this time, the main body control unit 401 receives the operation modes set by the operation unit 120 such as the warm air, humidification, and atomization described above.

  Then, the main body control unit 401 has a function set from among the warm air mechanism 701, the humidification mechanism 801, and the electrostatic atomization mechanism 901 based on the operation instruction of the human body detection control unit 501 and the instruction from the operation unit 120. Stop operation and continue operation.

  At this time, when the absence determination unit 513 of the human body detection control unit 501 determines that the user is absent, the main body control unit 401 normally stops all functions such as warm air, humidification, and atomization. However, in the present embodiment, the operation of the warm air and the atomization function is stopped, and the operation of the humidification function is continued.

  As a result, when all functions of warm air, humidification, and atomization are stopped, it takes time to return to a comfortable humidity when the human body detection unit 301 next detects a person and resumes operation. Can be prevented. Further, by only operating the humidifying function, the electric energy necessary for the operation of other functions such as warm air and atomization function is reduced. In addition, in an electric heater without a humidification function, you may stop all functions. Therefore, unnecessary power consumption in the absence can be reduced without impairing comfort. As a result, an electric heater having both comfort and energy saving effect can be realized.

  The operation of the human body detection control unit of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the human body detection control unit in the embodiment. Note that the human body detection control unit 501 executes the processing flow shown in FIG. 5 at regular sampling times.

  As shown in FIG. 5, first, the non-detection time measurement unit 511 of the human body detection control unit 501 confirms the presence or absence of a signal output from the human body detection unit 301 (step S1). When there is no signal output from the human body detection unit 301 (No in step S1), the non-detection time is counted (step S2). Then, the signal interval of the human body detection signal until the human body is detected by the human body detection unit 301, that is, the time during which the signal non-detection state (no signal state) continues (non-detection time) is measured. At this time, when a human body is detected by the human body detection unit 301 (Yes in step S1), the count of the non-detection time is cleared (reset) (step S3). Thereby, detection of a new non-detection time is started.

  Next, the absence determination time determination unit 512 of the human body detection control unit 501 determines the absence determination time based on the determination method of the absence determination time described later (step S4).

  Next, the absence determination unit 513 of the human body detection control unit 501 compares the non-detection time with the absence determination time (step S5). At this time, when the non-detection time continues for the absence determination time (Yes in step S5), it is determined that the human body is absent (step S6). Then, the main body control unit 401 is instructed to stop the operation or to save the power 1 (step S7). On the other hand, when the non-detection time is less than the absence determination time (No in step S5), it is determined that the human body is present (step S8). Then, normal operation is instructed to the main body control unit 401 (step S7).

  And the said operation | movement is repeated during the period when the electric heater 100 is operating, and a human body is detected.

  Hereinafter, a specific operation of the electric heater according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operating state of the electric heater in the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6, first, when the absence of a human body is confirmed by the human body detection control unit 501, the electric heater according to the present embodiment shifts the operation state from the normal operation to the power saving operation 1. That is, when the absence of the human body is determined by the human body detection control unit 501, the hot air operation that is the hot air function is stopped, and the humidity control operation that is the humidification function is continued.

  In this case, the humidification function performs a low humidity control operation by lowering the target humidity. Thereby, the increase in power consumption can be suppressed by continuing normal humidification operation when absent. However, if the target humidity is set too low in the low humidity control operation, it takes time to return to a comfortable humidity that is the target humidity for normal operation when the operation is resumed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, for example, the target humidity for normal operation is set to a low humidity of about 55%, and the target humidity in the absence is set to a low humidity of about 40%.

  Next, in the state where the operation control is performed in the power saving operation 1, when a person enters the room again, the human body detection control unit 501 determines the presence of the person. Thereby, the electric heater is operated again in the normal operation.

  In addition, in the case of an electric heater without a humidifying mechanism, when the absence of a person is determined, the hot air operation that is a hot air function is stopped. The state is maintained until a human body is detected by the human body detection unit 301 next time.

<4> Method for Determining Absence Confirmation Time The method for determining the absence confirmation time shown in FIG. 5 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7A to 8.

  7A and 7B are graphs showing a signal detection state of the human body detection unit in the same embodiment in time series. FIG. 8 is a state transition diagram illustrating the operation of the absence determination time determination unit in the same embodiment.

  That is, as described with reference to FIG. 5, the absence determination time determination unit 512 determines the absence determination time that is a comparison value for determining that the human body is absent based on the non-detection time detected in step S <b> 2.

  Specifically, with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B, a method for determining the absence determination time will be described while comparing signal detection states when the electric heater is used in different usage states.

  The absence determination time is determined every determination time T0 from the start of operation. At this time, in this embodiment, the maximum value of the non-detection time counted during the time T0 is Tmax, the absence confirmation time with a short absence confirmation time is Tshort (for example, 3 minutes), and the long absence confirmation time is Tlong ( For example, 7 minutes).

  First, in the usage state of the electric heater shown in FIG. 7A, when there is a person, there is no non-detection time counted within a short absence determination time Tshort within the time T0. In this case, if the non-detection time equal to or longer than the short absence determination time Tshort is counted in the subsequent T0 time, there is a high possibility that the user is absent if the electric heater is used in the same manner. For this reason, it is preferable to control the absence confirmation time by setting it to a short absence confirmation time Tshort.

  On the other hand, in the usage state of the electric heater shown in FIG. 7B, even when there is a person, there is a non-detection time counted within a short absence determination time Tshort within T0 time. In this case, when the non-detection time equal to or longer than the short absence determination time Tshort is counted in the subsequent T0 time, it is not actually absent and there is little movement, but there is a high possibility that a user exists. For this reason, when the absence confirmation time is set to the short absence confirmation time Tshort, the operation stops despite the presence of a person and the usability is impaired. Therefore, it is preferable to control the absence confirmation time by setting the absence confirmation time Tlong longer than the short absence confirmation time Tshort. Thereby, even a user with little movement can respond.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in consideration of the user's operation shown in FIG. 7B, as shown in FIG. 8, first, a long absence confirmation time Tlong is set as an initial value of the absence confirmation time at the start of operation. (Step S1).

  Next, the absence determination time is determined every T0 time (step S2). At this time, when the maximum value Tmax of the non-detection time counted during the time T0 is less than the short absence determination time Tshort, the absence determination time is changed to the short absence determination time Tshort (step S3).

  Next, when it is determined that the user is absent and the operation of the electric heater is stopped (step S4), and when the operation of the operation unit 120 is stopped and the operation is stopped by the timer function (step S5), the absence is confirmed. The time is changed to a long absence confirmation time Tlong.

  When the operation of the electric heater is started again, the absence confirmation time is determined again from the long absence determination time Tlong.

  That is, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, during the operation of the electric heater, only the change to the short absence determination time Tshort is determined every T0 hours. The change to the long absence determination time Tlong is made only when the operation is stopped. Accordingly, when the user is absent during the operation of the electric heater with the short absence determination time Tshort, the operation can be surely stopped.

  In addition, in a state where the short absence confirmation time Tshort is determined, when the use state changes from the middle of the operation of the electric heater and the movement of the user decreases, it is possible to change to the long absence confirmation time Tlong. Yes. Thereby, when a person exists, it can prevent that the driving | operation of an electric heater stops frequently.

  For example, when the non-detection time equal to or longer than the short absence determination time Tshort is counted during the operation of the electric heater, when the change is made to the long absence determination time Tlong, the non-detection time is less than the long absence determination time Tlong. The operation cannot be stopped.

  Further, when the usage state changes in the middle and the user's movement decreases, even if there is a person, a non-detection time longer than the short absence determination time Tshort frequently occurs. Therefore, when the operation is stopped, if the setting of the short absence determination time Tshort is maintained without changing to the long absence determination time Tlong, the operation stops every time even if there is a person. Therefore, the usability of the electric heater is impaired. In order to avoid this, as shown in FIG. 8, after the operation is stopped, the absence determination time is changed to a long absence determination time Tlong.

  As described above, the electric heater according to the present embodiment has an optimum absence time, such as at least a short absence confirmation time Tshort and a long absence confirmation time Tlong, according to the operation frequency and usage status of the user. It can be automatically and accurately changed over time.

  Note that the optimum values of the short absence determination time Tshort, the long absence determination time Tlong, and the determination time T0 described in this embodiment vary depending on the performance of the human sensor 311 and the attachment position. Therefore, in this embodiment, a monitor test is performed, and the optimum value is determined in consideration of the balance between usability and power saving. As a result of the monitoring test, the average presence / absence time was 45 minutes per hour, 15 minutes absent. Based on this result, as described above, the short absence determination time Tshort is specifically set to 3 minutes, the long absence determination time Tlong is set to 7 minutes, and the determination time T0 is set to 7 minutes. However, it goes without saying that this is not a limitation.

  Thereby, the electric heater of this Embodiment was able to reduce power consumption by about 20% compared with the case where an operation | movement is not stopped in the absence by a human sensitive sensor.

  As described above, according to the electric heater of the present embodiment, the presence / absence of a person is determined from a hot air mechanism that heats air, a human body detection unit that detects a person, and a detection signal from the human body detection unit. And a human body detection control unit for controlling driving. The human body detection control unit 501 includes a non-detection time measurement unit 511 that measures a time when there is no detection signal, an absence determination unit 513 that determines absence of a person from the non-detection time, and a comparison value of non-detection time for absence determination The absence determination time determination unit 512 is determined. Then, the absence determination time determination unit 512 determines the absence determination time based on the length of the non-detection time. Thereby, according to a user's operation | movement frequency and a use condition, the absence confirmation time until it stops driving | operation can be changed to optimal time. As a result, the user-friendliness, such as determining that the user is absent and stopping operation despite the presence of a person, is not impaired. Furthermore, power consumption when absent can be reduced.

  Further, according to the electric heater of the present embodiment, the absence determination time determination unit 512 sets the absence determination time to at least a long absence determination time based on the maximum value Tmax of the non-detection time within the predetermined determination time T0. Either Tlong or short absence confirmation time Tshort is determined. Thereby, the optimum absence determination time can be determined easily and accurately in accordance with the operation frequency of the user and the use situation.

  In addition, according to the electric heater of the present embodiment, absence confirmation time determination unit 512 determines absence absence time when maximum value Tmax of non-detection time within predetermined determination time T0 is smaller than short absence determination time Tshort. Is determined as the short absence determination time Tshort. As a result, the short absence determination time Tshort can be determined more easily and accurately.

  Moreover, according to the electric heater of this Embodiment, when it determines with absence by the absence determination part 513, an absence determination time is changed into the long absence determination time Tlong. As a result, the long absence determination time Tlong can be determined more easily and accurately.

(Embodiment 2)
Below, the electric heater in Embodiment 2 of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. 9 and FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a state transition diagram illustrating the operation of the absence determination time determination unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the electric heater according to the embodiment. Note that FIG. 10 shows, for example, a case where the user stays in the room for about 1 minute and then leaves the room, and the short absence confirmation time Tshort is 3 minutes, the long absence confirmation time Tlong is 7 minutes, and the determination time T0. The warm air operation and the determination operation are shown by taking the case of 7 minutes as an example. For comparison with the present embodiment, the operation of the electric heater of the first embodiment is shown in the upper part of FIG.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 9, in the electric heater of the present embodiment, the initial value and the absence confirmation time at the start of operation are set to a short absence confirmation time Tshort. Then, after the absence of the human body is confirmed, when there is a human body detection signal within the time difference (4 minutes in FIG. 10) between the long absence confirmation time Tlong and the short absence confirmation time Tshort, the long absence confirmation It differs from the electric heater of Embodiment 1 by changing to time Tlong. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the first embodiment is referred to for the detailed description.

  Below, the determination method of absence determination time is demonstrated using FIG. 9 and FIG.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the operation time of the warm air mechanism of the electric heater is the sum of the occupancy time and the absence determination time. Specifically, if the absence confirmation time at the start of operation is set to a short absence confirmation time Tshort as in the present embodiment, the operation time is the sum of the occupancy time of 1 minute and the absence confirmation time of 3 minutes. 4 minutes.

  On the other hand, in Embodiment 1, since the absence confirmation time at the start of operation is set to the long absence confirmation time Tlong, the operation time is 8 minutes as the sum of the occupancy time of 1 minute and the absence confirmation time of 7 minutes.

  Thereby, compared with Embodiment 1, the operation time of a warm air mechanism can be shortened. Therefore, it is particularly suitable when the electric heater of this embodiment is used in a toilet or a washroom that is not always present. As a result, power consumption when absent can be further reduced.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the absence determination time determination unit in the present embodiment will be specifically described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9, a short absence confirmation time Tshort is set as an initial value of the absence confirmation time at the start of operation (step S1).

  At this time, if there is no human body detection signal during the short absence determination time Tshort after the start of the operation of the electric heater, the absence determination time determination time T0 has not elapsed. Therefore, the absence determination time determination unit 512 determines the absence without determining the change to the long absence determination time Tlong, and stops the operation of the electric heater.

  This state may be a case where the user is really out of the room and is absent, or a user who is actually in the room and does not move during the short absence determination time Tshort and has a low operation frequency. In the latter case, if the user frequently stops the operation of the electric heater while in the room, the usability is poor. Therefore, it is necessary to change the absence determination time to the long absence determination time Tlong.

  Further, when the user is in the room and the operation frequency is low, it is determined that the user is absent, and the human body detection signal is detected because it moves again within a relatively short time after the operation is stopped.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, after the absence of the human body is determined, the human body detection signal is detected within the time difference between the long absence determination time Tlong and the short absence determination time Tshort (Tlong-Tshort) (step) S2), the absence determination time is changed to a long absence determination time Tlong (step S3).

  Next, the absence determination time is determined every T0 time (step S4). At this time, when the maximum value Tmax of the non-detection time counted during the time T0 is less than the short absence determination time Tshort, the absence determination time is changed to the short absence determination time Tshort (step S1).

  In the state of step S3, when it is determined that the user is absent and the operation of the electric heater is stopped (step S5), and when the operation of the operation unit 120 and the operation is stopped by the timer function (step S6) ) Changes the absence determination time to a short absence determination time Tshort.

  Then, when the operation of the electric heater is started again, the absence confirmation time is determined again from the short absence confirmation time Tshort.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the operation time of the warm air mechanism can be shortened. Therefore, power consumption can be further reduced. In particular, it is possible to further save energy in a toilet or a washroom that is not always present. On the other hand, when the occupancy time is long and the operation frequency is low, such as in a living room or a child's room, it is possible to prevent frequent operation of the electric heater. As a result, it is possible to realize an electric heater that is more convenient to use.

(Embodiment 3)
Below, the electric heater in Embodiment 3 of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. 11 and FIG.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the human body detection control unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 11, in the electric heater of the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, first, when the human body non-detection time exceeds the absence determination time, the absence of the human body detection control unit 501 The determination unit 513 determines the presence or absence of a human body. And when absence of a human body is confirmed, the warm air driving | operation of an electric heater is stopped and it transfers to the power saving operation 1 in which humidity control driving | operation is continued. Next, after the transition to the power saving operation 1, when the human body non-detection time further exceeds a predetermined absence continuation time, the embodiment is in a state of the power saving operation 2 in which the humidity control operation which is a humidifying function is also stopped. Is different. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Below, the control operation in the electric heater of the present embodiment will be specifically described. The determination operation of the non-detection time and the absence determination time described in steps S1 to S4 shown in FIG. 11 is the same as that in the first embodiment or the second embodiment. Therefore, the flow after the absence determination time determination operation will be described in detail.

  First, as shown in FIG. 11, the absence determination unit 513 of the human body detection control unit 501 compares the non-detection time with the absence determination time determined in step S4 (step S5). At this time, when the non-detection time is less than the absence determination time (No in step S5), it is determined that the human body is present (step S7). And normal operation is instruct | indicated to the main body control part 401 (step S11).

  On the other hand, when the non-detection time continues for the absence determination time (Yes in step S5), the non-detection time is compared with the preset absence continuation time (step S8). At this time, if the non-detection time is less than the absence determination time (No in step S8), it is determined that there is no human body (step S9). Then, the power saving operation 1 is instructed to the main body control unit 401 (step S11).

  On the other hand, when the non-detection time is equal to or longer than the absence continuation time (Yes in step S6), it is determined that the human body is present (step S10). Then, the main body control unit 401 is instructed to save power 2 for stopping all operations (step S11).

  Hereinafter, a specific operation of the electric heater according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12 while referring to the flowchart of FIG.

  FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operating state of the electric heater in the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 12, first, when the absence of a person is determined by the human body detection control unit 501, the electric heater according to the present embodiment stops the hot air function and humidifies as in the first embodiment. The function continues the power saving operation 1 in which the target humidity is lowered and the low humidity control operation is performed.

  When the non-detection time exceeds a predetermined absence continuation time, the operation proceeds to power saving operation 2 and the operation of the humidifying function is stopped.

  Thereby, it is possible to prevent waste of power consumption due to the continuation of the low humidity control operation over a long period of time such as 1 hour or 2 hours. That is, for example, when the absence duration time of 30 minutes or more elapses, all humidity control operations that are humidification functions are also stopped. The absence duration of 30 minutes is an example. Therefore, the user can arbitrarily change the absence continuation time to a short eye (for example, 20 minutes) or a long eye (for example, 40 minutes) by using a switch provided on the operation unit 120. Thereby, in the balance of comfort and energy saving, the electric heater which can adapt more to a user's favorite use feeling is realizable.

  Next, in the state where the operation control is performed in the power saving operation 2, when a person enters the room again, the human body detection control unit 501 determines the presence of the person. Thereby, the electric heater is operated again in the normal operation.

  In the case of an electric heater without a humidifying mechanism, when it is determined that a person is absent, power saving operation 2 is executed, and the hot air operation that is a hot air function is stopped. The state is maintained until a human body is detected by the human body detection unit 301 next time.

  In each of the above embodiments, a pyroelectric sensor has been described as an example of the human sensor 311 of the human body detection unit 301. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, any sensor that can detect the presence / absence of a person such as an ultrasonic distance sensor may be used.

  Moreover, although each said embodiment demonstrated to the example the electric heater provided with the warm air mechanism, the humidification mechanism, and the electrostatic atomization mechanism, it is not restricted to this. For example, the apparatus comprised combining a warm air mechanism, a humidification mechanism, and an electrostatic atomization mechanism may be sufficient. As a result, the absence determination time can be automatically and easily automatically changed to an optimum time according to the user's operation frequency and usage status. As a result, it is possible to realize a device that is easy to use and that effectively reduces power consumption when absent.

  As described above, the electric heater of the present invention determines the presence or absence of a person from a warm air mechanism that heats air, a human body detection unit that detects a person, and a detection signal from the human body detection unit, A human body detection control unit for controlling driving is provided. The human body detection control unit includes a non-detection time measurement unit that measures a non-detection time without a detection signal, an absence determination unit that determines the absence of a person from the non-detection time, and a comparison value of the non-detection time for the absence determination. An absence determination time determination unit for determining is provided. The absence determination time determination unit may be configured to determine the absence determination time based on the length of the non-detection time.

  According to this configuration, the absence determination time until the operation is stopped can be changed to an optimum time in accordance with the operation frequency and usage situation of the user. Thereby, it is excellent in usability and can reduce unnecessary power consumption when absent. As a result, an electric heater having both comfort and energy saving effect can be realized.

  Further, in the electric heater of the present invention, the absence determination time determination unit sets the absence determination time to at least a long absence determination time or a short absence determination time based on the maximum value of the non-detection time detected within a predetermined time. Either may be determined. Thereby, the optimum absence determination time can be determined easily and accurately in accordance with the operation frequency of the user and the use situation.

  Further, the absence determination time determination unit of the electric heater of the present invention may determine the absence determination time as a short absence determination time when the maximum value of the non-detection time within the predetermined time is smaller than the short absence determination time. This makes it possible to more easily and accurately determine a short absence determination time.

  In addition, the electric heater of the present invention may change the absence confirmation time to a long absence confirmation time when the absence determination unit determines that the absence is present, thereby making the long absence confirmation time even easier and Can be determined accurately.

  In addition, the electric heater of the present invention is changed to a short absence confirmation time when the absence determination unit determines that it is absent, determines the absence of a person, stops the hot air mechanism, and is long. When the human body detection signal is detected within the difference time between the absence confirmation time and the short absence determination time, the absence determination time may be changed to a long absence determination time. Thereby, the operation time of the warm air mechanism can be further shortened, and the power consumption can be further reduced.

  The electric heater of the present invention further includes a humidifying mechanism that humidifies the air, and when the human body detection control unit determines the absence of a person, the hot air mechanism is stopped and the operation of the humidifying mechanism is continued. Good. Thereby, when a human body detection part detects a person and restarts driving | operation, it can prevent malfunctions, such as taking time until it returns to comfortable humidity. In addition, the electric energy required for the operation of other functions such as the warm air function can be reduced, and unnecessary power consumption in the absence can be reduced without impairing comfort.

  In the electric heater of the present invention, when the human body detection control unit determines the absence of a person, the hot air mechanism may be stopped, and the humidification mechanism may be operated at a low humidity control by lowering the target humidity. Thereby, an energy saving effect can be heightened more.

  Further, in the electric heater of the present invention, when the human body detection control unit determines the absence of the person, the hot air mechanism is stopped, the humidification mechanism lowers the target humidity and continues the low humidity control operation, and then the absence determination The operation of the humidifying mechanism may be stopped when the time elapses over a predetermined time. Thereby, it can control automatically without being aware of absence for a short time or absence for a long time. As a result, excellent comfort and energy saving effects can be obtained.

  The electric heater according to the present invention can change the absence determination time until the operation is stopped to an optimum time based on the output of the human body detection unit, depending on the operation frequency and usage state of the user. Thereby, unnecessary power consumption in the absence can be reduced without impairing comfort. Therefore, it is applicable not only to an electric heater but also to an application such as an air conditioner that detects a human body by a human sensor and controls an operation state.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Electric heater 110 Main body 120 Operation part 121 Power switch 122 Hot air continuous switch 123 Hot air room temperature interlock switch 124 Humidification switch 125 Electrostatic atomization switch 126 On timer switch 127 Off timer switch 128 Lock switch 129 Reset switch 130 Inlet 140 Air outlet 150 Air passage 151 Electrostatic atomization air passage 152 Warm air air passage 153 Humidification air passage 154 Duct member 160 Blower 170 Heater 180 Electrostatic atomization section 181 Electrostatic atomization unit 182 Atomization air outlet 190 Damper 200 Humidification section 301 Human Body Detection Unit 311 Human Sensor 401 Main Body Control Unit 501 Human Body Detection Control Unit 511 Non-Detection Time Measurement Unit 512 Absence Confirmation Time Determination Unit 513 Absence Determination Unit 701 Hot Air Mechanism 801 Humidification Mechanism 901 Electrostatic Atomization Mechanism

Claims (8)

A warm air mechanism for heating the air;
A human body detection unit for detecting a person;
From the detection signal by the human body detection unit, the presence or absence of the person is determined, and includes a human body detection control unit that controls driving,
The human body detection control unit is a non-detection time measurement unit that measures a non-detection time without a detection signal,
An absence determination unit that determines the absence of a person from the non-detection time;
An absence determination time determination unit for determining a comparison value of the non-detection time for absence determination;
The absence confirmation time determination unit is an electric heater that determines the absence determination time based on the length of the non-detection time. The absence determination time determining unit determines the absence determination time as at least one of a long absence determination time and a short absence determination time based on a maximum value of the non-detection time detected within a predetermined time. The electric heater according to 1. 3. The electricity according to claim 2, wherein the absence determination time determination unit determines the absence determination time as the short absence determination time when a maximum value of the non-detection time within a predetermined time is smaller than the short absence determination time. heater. The electric heater according to claim 2, wherein when the absence determination unit determines that the absence is present, the absence determination time is changed to the long absence determination time. When it is determined that the absence is determined by the absence determination unit, the absence determination time is changed to the short absence determination time, the absence of a person is determined, and after the hot air mechanism is stopped, the long absence determination time and the The electric heater according to claim 2, wherein when a human body detection signal is detected within a difference time with a short absence confirmation time, the absence confirmation time is changed to the long absence confirmation time. A humidifying mechanism for humidifying the air;
2. The electric heater according to claim 1, wherein when the human body detection control unit determines the absence of a person, the hot air mechanism is stopped and the operation of the humidification mechanism is continued. The electric body heater according to claim 6, wherein when the human body detection control unit determines the absence of a person, the hot air function is stopped, and the humidification mechanism performs a low humidity control operation by reducing a target humidity. When the human body detection control unit determines the absence of a person, the hot air mechanism is stopped, the humidification mechanism lowers the target humidity and continues the low humidity control operation, and then the absence determination time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. The electric heater according to claim 6, wherein operation of the humidifying mechanism is stopped after a lapse of time.

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